One-way traffic

"Dissect! Dismember! Dismember!"

"Hunting, hunting, hunting—!!!"

The Rahms who made this sound were coming from behind in an endless stream.

But who exactly is the person running ahead?

"Ha...woo...!"

I endured the pain in my chest.

Jingu ran at top speed. His body should have been the strongest weapon of this era, but he couldn't fly or run at supersonic speed.

Because even the source that constitutes the energy core is gone.

A conspicuous hole was torn open in Jingu's chest, from which blood and something resembling blood vessels slowly seeped out. Such a large wound could not be stopped even with modern medical techniques.

It was taken away... the Holy Grail that formed the source of power for this era.

Kingu believed himself to be a child of Tiamat, and that these new humans, the Rahmans created by Tiamat, would stand on the same level as him, as his brothers.

But he was completely wrong.

"Mother's child? Hehehehe!! Jingu! Outdated model! Scrap that needs to be discarded, utterly meaningless!!"

They never considered themselves to be children created by Tiamat.

Do not…

Perhaps even Tiamat herself didn't have this idea.

He was merely a consciousness injected into Enkidu's original body.

Just a doll, used and then thrown away.

"Ugh...Wow..."

Even if they try to escape, they will only face certain death.

Without the Holy Grail, he couldn't even unleash one percent of his previous power; the Chains of Heaven had no effect on these ordinary creations.

I will just be caught by the Rahms and then dissected.

But... why am I running so desperately?

Is it just to try and survive for the last bit of time?

However, a new question arose in Jin Gu's mind regarding this issue.

He slowly lowered his head.

She looked at the figure being held in her arms.

This is a little girl, about twelve years old. We don't know her name or anything. She just happened to be the one who was saved during the attack.

He was a complete stranger to her, and there was absolutely no need for him to save her.

So why... why did I have to... save her at this critical moment!

As these thoughts surfaced, Jingu realized that he had no way to move forward.

The dense forest branches completely blocked the way ahead.

"Dead end..."

Even the land that nurtured me, this natural world, must it all lead me to my death?

No… I am clearly a human from the new era… a child of Tiamat!

"...What nonsense are you talking about?"

He said these words as if he were denying himself.

He collapsed, limp and lifeless, against the trunk of a tree.

"Enkidu! Enkidu...!"

The little girl in his arms quickly ran out. He had used all his strength to protect her from injury, so she was the only one who had a chance to escape.

But they were surrounded by Rahm's forces, and even if they escaped, they would still die.

At least... at least stay by my side, that way I can keep her alive for a few more seconds.

That's what Jingu thought.

"Enkidu! I... I'll bandage your wounds..."

"it's useless."

Without even needing to explain, King interrupted the girl's actions without hesitation.

"Besides, I'm not Enkidu..."

In the distance came the sounds of creatures' sinister laughter and footsteps—it was the Rahm.

"I am nothing more than... a puppet wearing Enkidu's skin, nothing at all, not even a self..."

The Rahms will be here soon.

Without the Holy Grail, he was no match for them; he would die, and the girl left behind would die too.

…But...

What exactly were his reasons for saving the girl?

Clearly, she's the kind of old-timer I hate the most...

"You... are Enkidu."

"...What nonsense are you talking about?"

Even at the very last moment, the girl still said those words.

Even the dying King Gu couldn't help but frown.

"Me...! Even if I have that guy's appearance... what I did was completely different from what you know Enkidu did! Don't you understand?!"

“But, but…!”

The girl was so frightened that she almost burst into tears.

But she was determined to say those words no matter what.

"But you... just saved me..."

"—!!"

"Why...why did you save me...? If you were a bad person...you wouldn't do this, so..."

Even Jingu himself didn't know why he was trying to help the girl.

Come to think of it, the same thing happened after the arrest of citizens of Nippur.

Among them were some young boys and girls, whom he did not intend to kill, but rather let go.

what is this?

…It stems from the memories of this very body.

Enkidu is someone who adores children, and because of this, even though the consciousness within him is not his own, his body still remembers this.

"Ha...utterly meaningless..."

The footsteps stopped abruptly.

"Found it."

The Rahms are all closing in on us.

"Old model, poor thing!"

"He has no purpose whatsoever; he's just a expendable commodity! Jingu! Pathetic and laughable!"

"Hehehehehehehehe—!!!!!"

The monsters' merciless mockery and savage laughter left Jingu without the strength to resist.

Ah...that's it.

I have nothing of my own; I've been treated as a consumable since birth.

Without the Holy Grail, one is utterly useless, without friends, without family, without love.

It's impossible for that to happen.

With all his might, he managed to lift his head and look at the girl leaning against him.

"you…"

I didn't even have the strength to say that whether I stayed here or ran away, either option would lead to death.

Jingu looked at the girl, but she simply stood in front of him without hesitation.

"Why...do it like this..."

"Because... Enkidu protected me..."

She was really scared.

But at the same time, she also had to explain all these reasons and motives.

"Because Enkidu... protected us a long time ago! When I was even younger, Enkidu protected me and everyone else! And it's the same now...!"

Ahhh…

I'm not even the Enki you're talking about!

He wanted to say those words, but he didn't even have the strength to speak them. His hands were weak, and his whole body became limp and powerless.

My eyes involuntarily became moist.

He closed his eyes, and the girl stayed by his side until the very last moment.

Even though his fate was death no matter what, he still chose to protect Enkidu and Kingu until the very end.

BOOM—! BOOM! BOOM!

That strange radiance completely engulfed what lay ahead.

What?

Jin Gu barely opened his eyes and saw a familiar figure descending in front of him.

She destroyed the Rahms and saved herself.

"Accelerator...the one next to him..."

"...Seriously, at least remember that her name is Hatsune Miku."

Hatsune Miku, a songstress who fell from the sky.

Without hesitation, she saved Jingu, who was on the verge of death.

Upon seeing the girl still standing beside Jingu, and the severely injured Jingu, she immediately switched back to her Magical Future 2018 form.

And then they began treatment.

"Don't move yet. Your injury is fatal, but fortunately you haven't lost any limbs, so I can still help you recover a little."

"...?"

Jingu stared at her, wide-eyed and incredulous.

"Why...what are you...doing?"

"As you can see, I've treated you."

"What a joke...! We, we're clearly enemies—!!!"

They were enemies who had been fighting each other all along. Jingu was certain that if he had seen Hatsune Miku in this situation before, he would have killed her without hesitation.

Why save yourself?

“I saw it all.”

After completing this series of actions, she simply smiled slightly and looked at Jingu.

"I heard everything you just had, your conversation and your thoughts."